Imprisoning the Black Moonlight

After enduring the autumn winds, we finally see the winter snow.

For the past few months, Yao Gongyue has been finding various excuses to avoid Hong Jin, such as having exams at school, competitions outside, or doing part-time jobs.

Hong Jin was frustrated by her leaving him hanging. Several times he blocked the classroom door and forcibly took her away, but she would only have a quick meal with him before she would act spoiled and make excuses to run away.

The luxurious apartment was cold and deserted. A drunken man lay on the sofa with his shirt unbuttoned, revealing his handsome collarbone. He half-closed his eyes, remained silent, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"Ah Jin, I feel like something's off with you lately. What happened?" Hong Jie sat on the sofa with his arms crossed, looking at his cousin across from him, who looked listless but still dignified, his brows furrowed.

Things have been unsettled in Phnom Penh lately, and his father has urged him to return several times. The morale within the army is low, and as the most capable among the younger generation of the family to be awarded the rank of three-star general, he must serve the family. However, he has his own plans.

Ah Jin hasn't even returned yet. The eldest son of the family isn't going into politics, but he, as the second son, has been granted a military rank. This might lead some to suspect discord among the brothers in the Hong family, which would be detrimental to Ah Jin's future power.

“Ah Jie!” The dignified man frowned and sat up, propping himself up on his arms. “My mother called today and told me to go back to Phnom Penh immediately. Prince Hagnau has been making a lot of small moves lately and may very well rebel.”

"I knew the royal family wouldn't let such a good opportunity pass by. My father has called several times to urge them. What are your plans?" The wicked-looking man gulped down a glass of wine, then looked at his cousin across from him with suspicion.

"Ah Jin, Colonel Ryan will probably be back around Christmas. I definitely won't be able to make it back by then, so I won't attend the graduation ceremony. When are you coming back? Let's go together!"

"Wait a little longer!" Hong Jin irritably wiped his face and lay back down.

"I'm telling you!" The bewildered man opposite him kicked the sofa leg. "Your graduation ceremony is over, and you'd rather work remotely from your study all day than go home. What are you thinking?"

As if he had thought of something, Hong Jie's wolf-like eyes flashed with a sharp light. "Ah Jin, don't tell me you're going to go into business and not come back. Let me tell you, don't even dream about it. You think you can make me go back and suffer alone? No way."

Hong Jin opened his eyes impatiently, giving his brainless cousin a cold look. "With Father sitting in that position, how many eyes are watching the Hong family? Go into business? I agree, but you go ask those old foxes in the cabinet if they agree!"

Hong Jie breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at his lazy cousin, "Then why aren't you going back? What are you doing here?"

“My Yuebao will be on holiday soon, and I want to take her back with me to meet my grandfather and, by the way, finalize our marriage!” The man stroked the small rose-shaped hair tie in his hand, and his eyes, which had been dull all night, finally glimmered with a little light.

This rose-shaped hair tie was from the last time he forced the little vixen to come out and have dinner with him. After dinner, he didn't want her to leave, so the little girl took it off her head and put it on his hand, saying, "Brother Ajin, I really have something to do. In China, when girls are dating, they put little hair ties on their boyfriends. Here, take my little hair tie, just think of it as your baby keeping you company, okay?"

He was so charmed by her sweet, coquettish voice that he waved for the driver to take her back to school. But it's been half a month, and she's still busy and nowhere to be seen.

The video sent back by the bodyguard who had been keeping an eye on her showed that she had indeed been very busy lately. Seeing that she was finally putting in a lot of effort to do something, the man refrained from going to see her.

"What? You've been here for so long just to wait for her?" Hong Jie's eyes widened in disbelief. "No, Ah Jin, I thought you had something important that got in the way. You, you've abandoned a whole bunch of things in Phnom Penh for a woman! You, you've gone mad!"

He was initially very excited, but at the end, he was intimidated by his cousin's venomous glare, which made him shrink back in anger.

Hong Jie was one of the most notorious troublemakers among the noble families of Southeast Asia. He started carrying a gun and joining his father's army at the age of eight. He was lawless and no one could control him. At sixteen, he led a small squad to bomb the only son of his father's mortal enemy, making him famous overnight.

Perhaps it's a case of one thing subduing another; he wasn't even afraid of his own father, but he was afraid of this cousin who was a few months older than him.

Back then, he killed the son of a high-ranking military officer. That man, along with his subordinates, surrounded the Prime Minister's residence to put pressure on my grandfather. At that time, the internal strife in Japan had just been quelled, and the country could not withstand any further changes. My grandfather had no choice but to sacrifice the pawn to save the king and handed him over.

He was dragged to the front of the army and was to be executed by firing squad in front of everyone. It was Hong Jin, who was still at West Point at the time, who got the news and rushed back.

He would never forget the cold, aloof young man in military uniform, exuding arrogance and superiority, who came alone to the execution ground, looking at the high-ranking military officer who was older than his father, yet whose aura was even more imposing, as if ruling the world, and coldly speaking.

"If I remember correctly, these four stars on your shoulders were bestowed upon you by my grandfather. You should understand that the Hong family can give this gun to you or to someone else!"

Today, you've forced one of my Hong family members to die. It seems you haven't considered your future! Well then, let me remind you: my grandfather is old, but my father is still alive. Even if my father is gone, I, Hong Jin, will still live. The Hong family will always be the Hong family!

The young man didn't need to say anything more; the officers around him were already sweating profusely.

The former prime minister saved the country from collapse. No one in J country could shake the Hong family's position. The young man in front of him was the eldest grandson of the Hong family, and his words represented the Hong family's attitude.

It's quite clear that the Hong family might sacrifice a male member of their second wife under duress, but they will settle accounts with them one day. The officer has lost his only son, but they still have sons. The future of their descendants is entirely in the hands of the Hong family, so there's no need for them to get involved in this mess.

Finally, even the soldiers who were about to carry out the execution lowered their guns. Everyone watched as Hong Jin took Hong Jie away. Before leaving, he gave them a standard military salute and said, "The Hong family belongs to J country. They will forever shed blood and sweat for J country!" This earned him the support and goodwill of the officers and soldiers.

Since then, although Hong Jie didn't say it, he always followed Hong Jin's lead in his actions. Hong Jin told him to go abroad to study and take the military academy entrance exam, so he did. Hong Jin told him to hone his skills and take over military power in the future to contribute to the family. Even though he was unwilling, he gritted his teeth and persevered to this day.

But seeing his cousin, whom he had always worshipped like a god, go to such lengths for a woman, Hong Jie was a little surprised.

"Ah Jie!" Hong Jin ignored his cousin's surprise, rubbing his temples with his large, well-defined hands, and said wearily, "From the moment I was born, I have carried the burden of family honor and national responsibility. It seems like I have everything I want, but in reality, none of this belongs to me, Hong Jin. Do you understand?"

The man's handsome eyes were bloodshot as he looked at his good brother across from him. "Hong Jin is Hong Jin of the Hong family, not Hong Jin of Hong Jin. Only Yue Bao belongs to Hong Jin."

He lit a cigarette with his long, slender fingers, his handsome features hidden behind the gray smoke. "I'll be selfish this once! My family wants me to go back and risk my life, but I have to save myself some dignity!"